HEALTH PROMOTION

METHODS & APPROACHES

APPROACHES IN HEALTH PROMOTION

Medical or Preventive
Behaviour Change
Educational
Empowerment
Social Change

-1

APPROACHES IN HEALTH PROMOTION

-2

THE MEDICAL APPROACH

Aim is freedom from medically-defined
disease and disability such as infectious
diseases
Involves medical intervention to prevent or
ameliorate ill-health
Values preventive medical procedures and the
medical professions responsibility to ensure
that patients comply with recommended
procedures

APPROACHES IN HEALTH PROMOTION

-3

THE BEHAVIOUR CHANGE APPROACH

Aim is to change peoples individual attitudes and
behaviour so that they adopt a healthy lifestyle
Examples include teaching people how to stop
smoking, encouraging people to take exercise, eat the
right food, look after their teeth etc
Proponent of this approach will be convinced that a
healthy lifestyle is in the interest of their clients and
that they are responsible to encourage as many people
as possible to adopt a healthy lifestyle

APPROACHES IN HEALTH PROMOTION

-4

THE EDUCATIONAL APPROACH

Aim is to give information and ensure knowledge and
understanding of health issues and to enable wellinformed decisions to be made
Information about health is presented and people are
helped to explore their values and attitudes and make
their own decisions
Help in carrying out those decisions and adopting new
health practices may also be offered

APPROACHES IN HEALTH PROMOTION

-5

THE EDUCATIONAL APPROACH (Contd)

Proponent of this approach will value the
educational process and respect the right of the
individual to choose their own health
behaviour
Resposibility to raise with clients the health
issues which they think will be in their clients
best interests

APPROACHES IN HEALTH PROMOTION

-6

THE CLIENT-CENTRED APPROACH

(EMPOWERMENT)
Aim is to work with clients in order to help them to
identify what they want to know about and take action
on and make their own decisions and choices
according to their own interest and values
Health promoters role is to act as a facilitator in
helping people to identify their own concerns and gain
the knowledge and skills they require to make things
happen

APPROACHES IN HEALTH PROMOTION

-7

THE CLIENT-CENTRED APPROACH

(EMPOWERMENT) (Contd)
Self-empowerment of the client is seen as
central to this aim
Clients are valued as equal who have
knowledge, skills and abilities to contribute,
and who have an absolute right to control
their own health destinies

APPROACHES IN HEALTH PROMOTION

-8

THE SOCIETAL CHANGE APPROACH

Aim is to effect changes on the physical, social and
economic environment, in order to make it more
conducive to good health
Focus is on changing society not on changing the
behavior of individuals
Proponent of this approach will value their democratic
right to change society and will be committed to
putting health on the political agenda

MODELS OF
HEALTH PROMOTION

HEALTH PROMOTION METHODS USING BEATTIES

TYPOLOGY (BEATTIE 1991)
MODE OF INTERVENTION
Advice

Authoritarian

Education
Behaviour change
Mass media campaign

Legislation
Policy making and
implementation
Health surveillance

Individual

Collective
Focus of
intervention

Counselling

Lobbying

Education

Action research

Group work

Skills sharing and training

Group work

Negotiated

Community development

TANNAHILLS MODEL OF HEALTH PROMOTION

(DOWNIE et al 1990)
1. Preventive services,
e.g. immunization,
cervical screening,
hypertension case
finding,
developmental
surveillance, use of
nicotine chewing gum
to aid smoking
cessation.
2. Preventive health
education, e.g.
smoking cessation
advice and
information.

5
Health education

2
1

Prevention

7
4
3

6
Health
protection

6. Positive health
protection, e.g.
workplace
smoking policy.

7. Health education
aimed at positive
health protection,
3. Preventive health protection, e.g. e.g. lobbying for
a ban on tobacco
fluoridation of water.
advertising.
4. Health education for preventive
health protection, e.g. lobbying
for seat belt legislation.
5. Positive health education, e.g
life skills with young people.

HEALTH PROMOTION
INTERVENTIONS

INTERVENTION :WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Interventions are activities used by programme
planners to bring about outcomes identified in
the programme objectives
These activities are sometimes referred to as
treatments
An intervention may be made up of a single
activity but it is more common for planners to
use a variety of activities to make up an
intervention for a programme

SELECTING APPROPRIATE
INTERVENTION ACTIVITIES -1
Selection should be based on a sound
rationale as opposed to chance and the
intervention should be both effective and
efficient. The following questions will serve
as a guide:
1.
2.

Do the intervention activities fit the goals and

objectives of the programme?
At what level(s) of influence will the
intervention be focused?

SELECTING APPROPRIATE
INTERVENTION ACTIVITIES -2
3. Are the activities based on an appropriate
theory?
4. Is the intervention an appropriate fit for the
target population?
5. Are the necessary resources available to
implement the intervention selected?

SELECTING APPROPRIATE
INTERVENTION ACTIVITIES -3
6. What types of intervention activities are
known to be effective in dealing with the
programme focus?
7. Would it be better to use an intervention
that consists of a single activity or one
that is made up of multiple activities?

TYPES OF INTERVENTION ACTIVITIES

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

-1

Communication activities
Educational activities
Behaviour modification activities
Environmental change activities
Regulatory activities
Community advocacy activities

TYPES OF INTERVENTION ACTIVITIES -1

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Organizational culture activities

Incentives and disincentives
Health status evaluation activities
Social activities
Technology-delivered activities

1. COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES
Useful in helping reach the many goals and
objectives of health promotion programmes
such as:
Increasing awareness and knowledge
Changing and reinforcing attitudes
Maintaining interest
Providing cues for action
Demonstrating simple skills

2. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

those usually associated with formal

education in courses, seminars and
workshops
includes educational methods such as
lecture, discussion, group work,
computerised instruction etc

3. BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION ACTIVITIES

-1

often used in intra-personal level

communication and include techniques
intended to help those in the target population
experience a change in behaviour
systematic procedure for changing a
behaviour and process based on stimulus
response theory

3. BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION ACTIVITIES

-2

emphasis placed on a specific behaviour

that one might want to increase or
decrease
particular attention given to changing
the events that are antecedent or
subsequent to the behaviour that is to be
modified

4. ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE ACTIVITIES

-1

measures that alter or control the legal,

social, economic and physical
environment
changes are characterised by changes in
those things around individuals that
may influence their awareness,
knowledge, attitudes, skills or
behaviour

4. ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE ACTIVITIES

-2

activities to provide a forced choice situation

(e.g. selection of food and drinks in vending
machines and canteens changed to include only
healthy food
activities to also include providing target
population with health messages and
environmental cues for certain types of
behaviour
(e.g. posting no-smoking signs, eliminating
ash trays, providing lockers and showers,
using role-modelling by others, food labelling

5. REGULATORY ACTIVITIES

-1

Include executive orders, laws, ordinances,

policies, position statements, regulations, and
formal and informal rules
Classified as mandated or regulated activities to
guide individual or collective behaviour
Intervention activity may be controversial as it
mandates a perticular response from an
individual and takes away individual freedom

5. REGULATORY ACTIVITIES

-2

regulatory activities do not allow for the

voluntary actions conducive to health
this type of activity can get people to change
their behaviour when other strategies have
failed
since these activities are mandatory, it is
particularly important to use good judgement
and show respect for others when
implementing them

6. COMMUNITY ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES

-1

are used to influence social change

is a process in which the people of the community
become involved in the institutions and decisions that
will have an impact on their lives
has the potential for creating more support, keeping
people informed, influencing decisions, activating
non-participants, improving services, and making
people, plans, and programmes more responsive

6. COMMUNITY ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES

-2

activities are not without cost - requires time

and effort as well as persistence
techniques often used in advocacy activities
include:

personal visits to educate or lobby the key people

a community rally
telephone call campaign to the office of decision makers
TV or radio appearance to express your views

6. COMMUNITY ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES

-3

letter-writing campaigns to:

the key-people who educate/influence
decision makers,
newspaper editors, expressing concern
about the result of a vote by decision
makers on a particular issue,
decision-makers, thanking them for their
support on a key issue

7. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ACTIVITIES

-1

Closely aligned with environmental

change activities and that which affect
organizational culture
Culture is usually associated with norms
and traditions that are generated by and
linked to a community of people

7. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ACTIVITIES -1

The culture expresses what is and what

is not considered important to the
organization
It takes a long time to establish norms
and traditions and still change can occur
very quickly if the decision-makers in
the organization support it

7. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ACTIVITIES

Some organizational culture activities

may include:
Providing employees with extra 20 minutes
at lunch-time for exercise
Use of common exercise facility by Senior
Managers
Changing the type of food found in vending
machines
Offering discount on health food

-3

8. INCENTIVES AND DISINCENTIVES

-1

use of incentives and disincentives to

influence health outcomes is a common
type of activity
activity is based on many health
behaviour theories - suggest that
anticipation of rewards increases the
probability of an individual engaging in
desired health behaviour

8. INCENTIVES AND DISINCENTIVES

-2

an incentive can increase the perceived

value of an activity, motivate people to get
involved, and remind programme
participants of their commitment to and
goals for behaviour change
for the activity to work, the planner needs
to match the incentives with the needs,
wants, or desires of the target population

8. INCENTIVES AND DISINCENTIVES

-3

two major categories of incentives the first

group includes incentives called social
reinforcers and the second group called
material reinforcers
just as incentives can be used to get people
involved in behaviour change, disincentives
can be used to discourage a certain behaviour
(e.g. tax on cigarettes, surcharge on health
insurance for smokers, fines for not wearing
safety-belts)

9. HEALTH STATUS EVALUATION ACTIVITIES

aimed at making those in the target

population more aware of their current health
status
part of multi-activity intervention
activities involved the completion of a health
risk appraisal form, self-screening, clinical
screening
settings for such activities - health fairs,
work-sites and health care facilities

10. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

social support important for behaviour change
people find it much easier to change a behaviour
if those around them provide support or are
willing to be partners in the behaviour change
process
social support could work as in incentive
other social interventions could include support
groups or buddy support, social activities and
social networks

11. TECHNOLOGY-DELIVERED ACTIVITIES

traditional delivery of many health education

and health promotion programmes - face-toface contact between provider and target
population
with technology programmes are now
delivered through a variety of ways internet
and computer-assisted instruction
telephone-delivered intervention activities
individual-initiated or outreach

AIMS AND METHODS

IN
HEALTH PROMOTION

AIMS AND METHODS IN HEALTH PROMOTION

AIM

APPROPRIATE METHOD

Health awareness goal

Raising awareness, or consciousness,
of health issues.

Talks, group work, mass media, displays and

exhibitions, campaign.

Improving knowledge
Providing information.

One-to-one teaching, displays and exhibitions,

written materials, mass media, campaigns, group
teaching.

Self-empowering
Improving self-awareness, elf-esteem,
decision making.

Group work, practising decision-making, values

clarification, social skills training, simulation,
gaming and role play, assertiveness training,
counselling.

Changing attitudes and behaviour

Changing the lifestyles of individuals.

Group work, skills training, self-help groups, oneto-one instruction, group or individual therapy,
written material, advice.

Societal/environmental change
Changing the physical or social
environment.

Positive action for under-served groups, lobbying,

pressure groups, community-based work,
advocacy schemes, environmental measures,
planning and policy making, organisational
change, enforcement of laws and regulations.

APPROACHES TO HEALTHY PROMOTION

(THE EXAMPLE OF HEALTHY EATING)
APPROACH

AIMS

METHODS

WORKER/CLIENT
RELATIONSHIP

Medical

To identify those at risk

from disease.

Primary health care

consultation, e.g.
measurement of body
mass index.

Expert led. Passive,

conforming client.

Behaviour change

To encourage individuals
to take responsibility for
their own health and
choose healthier
lifestyles.

Persuasion through oneto-one advice,

information, mass
campaigns, e.g. Look
After Your Heart
dietary messages.

Expert led.
Dependent client. Victim
blaming ideology.

APPROACH

AIMS

METHODS

WORKER/CLIENT
RELATIONSHIP

Educational

To increase knowledge
and skills about healthy
lifestyles.

Information.
Exploration of attitudes
through small group
work. Development of
skills, e.g. womens
health group.

May be expert led

May also involve client in
negotiation of issues for
discussion.

Empowerment

To work with clients or

communities to meet their
perceived needs.

Advocacy
Negotiation
Networking
Facilitation e.g. food
co-op, fat womens
group.

Health promoter is
facilitator.
Client becomes
empowered.

Social change

To address inequities in
health based on class,
race, gender, geography.

Development of
organisational policy,
e.g. hospital catering
policy.
Public health
legislation, e.g. food
labelling. Lobbying.
Fiscal controls, e.g.
subsidy to farmers to
produce lean meat.

Entails social regulation

and is top-down.

METHODS AND
APPROACHES:
INDIVIDUAL

INDIVIDUAL APPROACH -1
Individual focus the cradle of health
promotion.
One-to-one basis individual advice,
counselling
Interactive nature of face-to-face
communication allows better possibilities for
success than perhaps any other
communication medium
Individual methods of health promotion are
usually but not exclusively associated with
secondary prevention or tertiary prevention

INDIVIDUAL APPROACH -2
LIMITATIONS
For a large population to labour intensive to reach
everyone in this manner
One-to-one individual methods not as appropriate in
the area of primary prevention cost-ineffectiveness
among large target audiences, many of whom may
not develop the specific disease
Difficult to gain access to people and also health
information competing with a myriad of other
messages (often anti-health forces)

INDIVIDUAL APPROACH -3
As most information concerning health
is so technical and complex, a
translational process is necessary to
transform scientific and medical jargon
into information which can be
understood and acted on by the general
public

METHODS AND
APPROACHES:
GROUPS

GROUP APPROACHES -1
Group techniques offer an intermediary between oneto-one approaches and wider community appeals
through media and whole community approaches
Groups can range in size from 2-3 people to several
hundreds and can be either homogenous or
heterogenous in nature
Health education methods in such groups can be
classified as didactic (i.e. lectures, seminars) or
experential (i.e. skills training, simulation/games etc)

GROUP APPROACHES -2
Group methods have been used by health educators to
empower individuals, organisations and communities
in key ways.
These include assisting individuals:
to modify or maintain health-related behaviour
to provide a supportive setting for individuals sharing a
common goal or problem
to organise community to improve their capability to identify
and solve their own problems (i.e. community organisation)
to organise individuals and groups to undertake macro-level
social change (e.g. training community leaders)

GROUP APPROACHES -3
Group methods can also be used in a range of
different settings, including those at which the level
of prevention is mainly:
primary (schools, workplace, organisations)
secondary (medical practice, health centres, outpatient clinics, drug refgerral centres), or
tertiary (hospitals, rehabilitation centres, nursing
homes)

SUMMARY OF GROUP METHODS IN

HEALTH PROMOTION

DIDACTIC GROUP METHODS

LECTURE-DISCUSSION

Best for knowledge transmission, motivation in large groups.

Requires dynamic, effective speaker with more knowledge than
the audience.

SEMINAR

Smaller numbers (2-20). Leader-group feedback. Leader most

knowledgeable in the group. Best for trainer learning.

CONFERENCE

Can combine lecture/seminar techniques. Best for professional

development. Several authorities needed.

EXPERIENTIAL GROUP METHODS

SKILLS TRAINING

Requires motivated individuals. Includes explanation, demonstration

and practice, e.g. relaxation, childbirth, exercise.

BEHAVIOUR
MODIFICATION

Learning and unlearning of specific habits. Stimulus-response

learning. Generally behaviour specific, e.g. quit smoking phobia
desensitisation.

SENSITIVITIY/
ENCOUNTER

Consciousness raising. Suitable for professional training and some

middle-class health goals.

INQUIRY
LEARNING

Used mainly in school settings. Requires formulating and problem

solving through group co-operation.

PEER GROUP
DISCUSSION

Useful where shared experiences, support, awareness are important.

Participants homogeneous in at least one factor, e.g. old people,
prisoners, teenagers.

SIMULATION

Useful for influencing attitudes in individuals with varying abilities.

Generally in school setting, but of relevance to other groups.

ROLEPLAY

Acting of roles by group participants. Can be useful where

communication difficulties exist between individuals in a setting, e.g.
families, professional practice, etc.

SELF-HELP

Requires motivation and independent attitude. Valuable for ongoing

peer support, values clarification, etc. Can be therapy or a forum for
social action.

METHODS AND
APPROACHES:
GENERAL POPULATION

MASS MEDIA

MASS MEDIA IN HEALTH PROMOTION

DEFINITION OF SOME TERMS -1
MASS MEDIA:
Any printed or audio-visual material designed to
reach a mass audience. This includes newspapers,
magazines, radio, television, billboards, exhibition,
display, posters and leaflets

MESSAGE
A cultural communication encoded insigns and
symbols

MASS MEDIA IN HEALTH PROMOTION

DEFINITION OF SOME TERMS -2

MARKETING:
The sum total of all activities (the marketing
mix) designed to persuade people to adopt
certain behaviours

ADVERTISING
One component of marketing mix

MASS MEDIA IN HEALTH PROMOTION

DEFINITION OF SOME TERMS -3

AUDIENCE SEGMENTATION:
The division of a mixed population into more
homogenous groups or market segments.
Market segments are defined by certain
shared characteristics which affect attitudes,
beliefs and knowledge. Targeting specific
market segments allows for more specific
messages which will have a greater effect.

MASS MEDIA, ADVERTISING, MARKETING

AND HEALTH PROMOTION -1

Unrealistic expectations of media

effectiveness due in part to a basic
misunderstanding
Health promoters assumed that advertising
alone was responsible for the behaviour
change achieved by commercial companies.
They failed to appreciate that advertising is
just one part of what is called the marketing
mix

MASS MEDIA, ADVERTISING,

MARKETING AND HEALTH
PROMOTION -2
Advertising a commercial product is very
different from trying to sell health.
Advertising typically mobilizes
predispositions whereas health promotion
typically tries to counter them
Advertising is selling things in the here and
now, to be immediately consumed and
enjoyed. By contrast, health education
messages are often about foregoing present
enjoyment for future benefits

MASS MEDIA, ADVERTISING,

MARKETING AND HEALTH
PROMOTION -3

Advertising spends large sums of money

for relatively small shifts in behaviour.
Health education spends a fraction of
commercial budgets attempting to
generate large shifts in behaviour.

WHAT THE MASS MEDIA CAN

AND CANNOT DO -1

The mass media can:

Raise consciousness about health
issues
Help place health on the public agenda
Convey simple information
Change behaviour if other enabling
factors are present

WHAT THE MASS MEDIA CAN AND

CANNOT DO -2
Using the mass media is effective if:
It is part of an integrated campaign including
other elements such as one-to-one advice
The information is new and presented in an
emotional context
The information is seen as being relevant for
people like me

WHAT THE MASS MEDIA CAN

AND CANNOT DO -3
The mass media cannot:
Convey complex information
Teach skills
Shift peoples attitudes or beliefs. If messages are
presented which challenge basic beliefs, it is more
likely that the message will be ignored, dismissed or
interpreted to mean something else
Change behaviour in the absence of other enabling
factors

FACTORS IMPORTANT TO
MEDIA EFFECTIVENESS -1
CREDIBILITY: The source must be trusted
and reliable
CONTEXT: The message should be relevant
to the receiver
CONTENT: The message must be meaningful

FACTORS IMPORTANT TO MEDIA

EFFECTIVENESS -2
CLARITY: The receiver must be able to understand the
message
CONTINUITY: The message should be consistent
without being boring
CHANNELS: The message must used the established
channel of the receiver
use the media

FACTORS IMPORTANT TO MEDIA

EFFECTIVENESS -3
CAPABILITY: The receiver must be
capable of acting on the message
meaningful
COLLABORATION: Media
professionals should be involved to
determine how best to use the media

WHEN TO USE THE MEDIA IN

HEALTH PROMOTION -1
when a wide exposure is desired
when public discussion is likely to
facilitate the educational process
when awareness is the main goal
when media is on-side
when accompanying on the ground
back-up can be provided

WHEN TO USE THE MEDIA IN

HEALTH PROMOTION -2
when long-term follow-up is possible
when a generous budget exists
when counter-argument is likely to be
productive
when the behaviour goal is simple
when a hidden agenda is public
relations

SUMMARY OF MEDIA METHODS

TYPE

CHARACTERISTICS
Limited reach media

PAMPHLETS

Information transmission. Best where cognition rather than

emotion is desired outcome.

INFORMATION
SHEET

Quick convenient information. Use as series with storage folder.

Not for complex behaviour change.

NEWSLETTERS

Continuity. Personalised. Labour intensive and requires detailed

commitment and needs assessment before commencing.

POSTERS

Agenda setting function. Visual message. Creative input required.

Possibility of graffiti might be considered.

T-SHIRTS

Emotive. Personal. Useful for cementing attitudes and

commitment to program/idea.

STICKERS

Short messages to identify/motivate the user and cement

commitment. Cheap, persuasive.

VIDEOS

Instructional. Motivational. Useful for personal viewing with

adults as back-up to other programmes.

SUMMARY OF MEDIA METHODS

TYPE

CHARACTERISTICS
Mass reach media

TELEVISION

Awareness, arousal, modelling and image creation role. May be

increasingly useful in information and skills training as
awareness and interest in health services.

RADIO

Informative, interactive (talkback). Cost effective and useful in

creating awareness, providing information.

NEWSPAPERS

Long and short copy information. Material dependent on type of

paper and day of week.

MAGAZINES

Wide readership and influence. Useful as in supportive role and

to inform and provide social proof.

SOCIAL
MARKETING

SOCIAL MARKETING
DEFINITION
SOCIAL MARKETING is the
application of marketing concepts and
techniques to the marketing of various
socially beneficial ideas and causes
instead or products and services in the
commercial sense.
(FOX & KOTLER, 1980)

THE MARKETING MIX:

THE FOUR PS
PRODUCT:
PRICE:
PLACE:
PROMOTION:

the physical product and its

symbolic meaning
the value of the product
where the product is
available
advertising, sales
promotion, personal selling
and publicity

SOCIAL MARKETING IN HEALTH

PROMOTION -THE 4PS -1
1. PRODUCT
does not necessarily mean a physical
product
socially desirable goals e.g.
behavioural, attitudinal, idea change to
new habits, norms and values through
learning

SOCIAL MARKETING IN HEALTH

PROMOTION -THE 4PS -2
2. PRICE
represents the price the buyer must accept in order
to obtain the product
includes costs in terms of money, opportunity, energy
and pychological e.g.

buying seat belts and installing it

giving up the pleasures of smoking
giving up favourite food
going to GP vs long waiting time at government
hospital

SOCIAL MARKETING IN HEALTH

PROMOTION -THE 4PS -3
3. PLACE
important for providing adequate and compatible
distribution and response channels
arranging for accessible outlets which permit
translation of motivation to act
requires effective & efficient marketing strategy e.g.
prime time announcements, strategic places for
display, direct telephone linkages, information
centres etc

SOCIAL MARKETING IN HEALTH

PROMOTION -THE 4PS -4
4. PROMOTION
key element in all marketing as consumer
demand responds to promotion and
product advertising
uses PERSUASIVE STRATEGY to make
the product familiar, acceptable and
desirable
not TELLING but SELLING by
stressing the benefits

SOCIAL MARKETING IN HEALTH

PROMOTION -THE 4PS -5
4. PROMOTION (Contd)
include:
advertising
personal selling
publicity and
sales promotion

SOCIAL MARKETING IN HEALTH

PROMOTION -THE 4PS -6
4. PROMOTION (Contd)
advertising through:
choice of appeal
selection of effective and efficient
media
development of presentation strategies
use of various media, methods, etc

8 IMPORTANT STEPS IN SOCIAL

MARKETING PROGRAMMES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Establishing management and operating procedures

Selecting the products to be marketed
Identifying the consumer population
Deciding on brand names and packaging
Setting an appropriate price
Recruiting sales outlets
Arranging and maintaining a distribution system
Carrying out promotion

SOCIAL MARKETING:
STRENGTHS -1
1. A valuable change tool
2. Useful in persuasion
3. Useful in creating awareness and
interest
4. Helpful by reinforcing through
repetition of message

SOCIAL MARKETING:
STRENGTHS -2
5. Usually offer long term benefits of the
behaviours promoted
6. Useful in increasing programme
effectiveness if used in combination
with other strategies
7. Has mass media appeal
8. Cost-efficient

SOCIAL MARKETING:
WEAKNESSES & LIMITATION -1
1. Heavy reliance on mass media
(effects of selective processes)
2. Makes the audience passive
3. Tends to be manipulative
4. May create negative public sentiments
for
real consumer products
5.
Creates resistance if opposed to strongly
reinforced and deeply entrenched ideas/habits

SOCIAL MARKETING:
WEAKNESSES & LIMITATION -2

6.

7.
8.

Focus on the individual rather than

the community at large for the
proposed change
Only appropriate in certain
circumstances
Ideas from outside - not the
audiences own

COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
APPROACH

COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT

-1

Means working to stimulate and

encourage communities to express their
needs and to support them in their
collective action
It is not about dealing with peoples
problems on a one-to-one basis
It aims to develop the potential of a
community

COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT

-2

A community development approach to

health involves working with groups of
people to identify their own health concerns
and to take appropriate action
Community development health workers are
essentially facilitators locally based whose
role is to help people in the community to
acquire the skills, knowledge and confidence
to act on health issues

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

Starts with peoples concerns, so it is more

likely to gain support.

Time consuming.

Focuses on root causes of ill health, not

symptoms.

Results are often not tangible or quantifiable.

Creates awareness of the social causes of ill

health.

Evaluation is difficult.

The process of involvement is enabling and

leads to greater confidence.

Without evaluation, gaining funding is

difficult.

The process includes acquiring skills which

are transferable, for example, communication
skills, lobbying skills.

The health promoter may find his or her role

contradictory. O whom are they ultimately
accountable employer or community?

If health promoter and people meet as equal,

it extends principle of democratic
accountability.

Work is usually with small groups of people.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
IN PLANNING HEALTH WORK
NO
PARTICIPATION

The community is told nothing, and is not involved in

any way.

VERY LOW
PARTICIPATION

The community is informed. The legacy makes a plan

and announces it. The community is convened or
notified in other ways in order to be informed;
compliance is expected.

LOW
PARTICIPATION

The community is offered token consultation. The

agency tries to promote a plan and seeks support or at
least sufficient sanction so that the plan can go ahead.
It is unwilling to modify the plan unless absolutely
necessary.

MODERATE
PARTICIPATION

The community advises through a consultation

process. The agency presents a plan and invites
questions, comments and recommendations. It is
prepared to modify the plan.

Cont
HIGH
PARTICIPATION

The community plan jointly. Representatives of the

agency and the community sit down together from the
beginning to devise a plan.

VERY HIGH
PARTICIPATION

The community has delegated authority. The agency

identifies and presents an issue to the community,
defines the limits and asks the community to make a
series of decisions which can be embodied in a plan
which it will accept.

HIGHEST
PARTICIPATION

The community has control. The agency asks the

community to identify the issue and make all the key
decisions about goals and plans. It is willing to help
the community at each step to accomplish its goals
even to the extent of delegating administrative control
of the work.

WAYS OF DEVELOPING
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

Be open about policies and plans

Plan for the communitys expressed needs
Decentralise planning
Develop joint forums and networks
Provide support, advice and training for
community groups
Provide information
Provide help with funding and resources

IN A NUTSHELL:
SELECTING
THE RIGHT METHODS
FOR
EFFECTIVE HEALTHPROMOTION

FACTORS FOR CONSIDERATION

IN CHOOSING METHODS
Which methods are the most appropriate and effective
for your aims and objectives?
Which methods will be acceptable to the consumer?
Which methods will be easiest?
Which methods will be cheapest?
Which methods are the most acceptable to the people
involved?
Which methods do you find comfortable to use?

CHOOSING METHODS FOR

HEALTH PROMOTION -1
The choice will be decided in part by external
considerations, such as the amount of funding or the
particular expertise of the health promoter
The type of methods chosen should also reflect the
objectives set. Certain methods go for certain
objectives but would be inappropriate for other
objectives
Participative small group work is effective at changing
attitudes but a more formal teaching session would be
more effective if specific knowledge is to be imparted

CHOOSING METHODS FOR

HEALTH PROMOTION -2
Community development is effective at
increasing community involvement and
participation bit would not be appropriate if
local government policy change is the
objective
The mass media is effective in raising
peoples awareness of health issues but
ineffective in persuading people to change
their behaviour

CHOOSING METHODS FOR

HEALTH PROMOTION -3
Deciding which methods would be the logical choice
given the objectives is critical.
A compromise may need to be considered owing to
constraints of time, resources or skills
This compromise should not concern the amount of
input, or the use of complementary methods
It should not mean that we end up using
inappropriate methods which are unlikely to achieve
the objectives